Manhattan’s bustling advertising Mecca, Madison Avenue, is a far cry from the quiet hum of an artist’s studio off Wolf Branch Road in Sorrento, which is where Steve Gordon spends a lot of time these days.

For years, the retired New York City ad man used his creative talents on major advertising campaigns for large corporations and businesses. Now he uses them to mold clay into vases, mugs, plates, platters and bowls of various sizes and colors. Each kiln-dried creation is unique, created by hand on Gordon’s potter’s wheel.

Recently, the Brooklyn native has concentrated on creating pink and white mugs and pink soap dishes he plans to sell to benefit the Susan B. Komen Foundation, which is dedicated to breast-cancer research. They’ll be available for $20 and $15, respectively, beginning Sunday at the Mount Dora Village Market and Thursday at the farmers market at Spanish Springs Town Square in The Villages.

“Every dime that comes in is going to the foundation,” said Gordon, 75, who sells his works at area outdoor markets, swanky boutiques and upscale shops, including Pottery Barn in Winter Park. “But I’m getting all the karma, and that is priceless to me.”

The move is part remembrance of his late wife, Jeannie, who died from lung and brain cancer in 2006, and part encouragement and hope for others who are battling the disease. Shortly after her diagnosis, Gordon and Jeanne created CancerBeatIt.org, which conveys a message of hope and defiance through a poster of the same name.

“I don’t care who you are or what kind of cancer you have, you can beat it,” said Gordon, who volunteers each week at the cancer center at Florida Hospital Waterman in Tavares. “We wanted to give people encouragement — that poster is up in more than 100 facilities right now.”

The father of four’s lifelong fascination with pottery began when his seventh-grade ceramics teacher showed the class how to mold clay into a work of art.

“I was 13 and said, ‘I’m gonna learn to do that,’” he said. “I did it intermittently throughout my life, but I always thought I would do it full time one day.”

Gordon got his chance when he and his wife of eight years, Annie, retired and moved to Lake County from Fort Lauderdale in 2011.

“We bought a house and I looked over at her and said I was getting a potter’s wheel, a kiln and taking over the three-car garage,” Gordon said.

After honing his talent, he discovered his creations were anything but ordinary and soon began selling his wares. He’s made it a second career of sorts.

“It’s not a hobby — I’m a full-time artist,” he said. “I’m in my studio at least 35 hours a week.”